RECENT LOBBYING, ETHICS & CAMPAIGN FINANCE UPDATES
We read the news, cut through the noise and provide you the notes.
Welcome to Compliance Notes from Nossaman’s Government Relations & Regulation Group – a periodic digest of the headlines, statutory and regulatory changes and court cases involving campaign finance, lobbying compliance, election law and government ethics issues at the federal, state and local level.
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Campaign Finance & Lobbying Compliance
The Attorneys General of New York, Connecticut, Maryland and Minnesota are reportedly investigating the fundraising tactics of both major political parties, including the practice of using pre-checked donation boxes for recurring political contributions. (Fredreka Schouten, CNN)
Hawaii: The legislature has adopted a new law, effective January 1, 2022, that will require public officials to wait 12 months after leaving office before they can be paid as lobbyists. (Joanna Kamvouris, LobbyComply)
Nevada: The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) is interviewing witnesses as part of its investigation into campaign spending by Las Vegas City Councilwoman Michele Fiore who reportedly spent campaign funds on personal expenses and payments to her own business. (Jeff German, David Ferrara & Shea Johnson, Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Government Ethics & Transparency
The Biden administration has come under scrutiny for its plan to allow Hunter Biden to sell his artwork to the public. Critics of the plan claim that it provides an avenue for conflicts of interest or buying influence with the White House. (Brett Samuels, The Hill)
California: Gerald “Jerry” Sanguinetti, a former San Francisco Public Works manager, is facing perjury charges for allegedly failing to disclose that he had an interest in a company that received “off book” payments of public funds through a nonprofit entity that served as a pass through. (Jaxon Van Derbeken, Michael Bott & Joe Rojas, NBC Bay Area)
New York: Three commissioners of the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) want to open an investigation into who leaked the results of a confidential Commission vote on whether to investigate possible misuse of government resources by a former top aide of Governor Andrew Cuomo. (Chris Bragg, Albany Times Union)
California: Governor Gavin Newsom lost a last minute legal battle seeking to use the label “Democrat” on ballots for the recall election, scheduled for September 14, 2021. (Jeremy White, Politico)
